


Closer Still

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Confined Spaces, F/M, Huddling For Warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 06:02:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16804882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: Chased by aliens and stuck in a snowstorm, the Doctor and Rose find shelter in an abandoned cabin. But are they really safe there, or will the looming danger force them even closer together?





	Closer Still

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goingtothetardis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/gifts).



Rose shivered and pulled the Doctor’s coat tighter around herself. Cold. It was so cold. The feeling had long seeped into her bones, making her feet numb and her face sting. Against the snow storm raging outside, even her full winter attire from the depths of the wardrobe room was useless. The cleft at the side of the mountain she was crouching in shielded her from the wind, at least for the moment, but the cold was still merciless. Rose wrapped her arms around her knees. Her teeth were chattering. With worry, she looked back into the storm outside. The wind howled, swirling snow through the air. All she could see was white.

Where was the Doctor? How long had he been gone?

In the storm, with the cold numbing her body, Rose wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d set out to find some shelter. Despite her protests, he had left his coat with her and went out unprotected against the snow. What if something had happened to him? Or what if he’d been caught, by those aliens that got them into this mess in the first place? Rose let out a long sigh. Without their little detour into the local prison, she was sure they would’ve made it back to the TARDIS in time. Or maybe they should’ve just stayed in their cell. It wasn’t the most comfortable prison she’d ever been to, but she’d give everything for central heating right now.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the whiteness outside. Rose jumped to her feet, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She let out a sigh of relief when it turned out to be the Doctor, stumbling towards her, a little out of breath. He grinned when he saw her, although his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, he let his gaze wander over her, full of worry.

“All right?” Rose asked and reached up to brush show out of his hair.

The Doctor nodded. “Found a small cabin, not far from here. Seems to be abandoned. Are you up for a short walk?”

Rose hesitated, just for a second. She certainly didn’t feel up for it, not in this weather. But eventually she bit her lip and nodded in determination. “Yeah,” she said, barely preventing her voice from cracking. “Let’s do this.”

The Doctor wrapped an arm around her shoulder, holding her close, and together they stepped out of the cleft and into the storm. Rose gasped as the wind hit her cheeks and nearly stumbled. The snow reached up her calves by now and her joints were stiff from crouching in the cold for so long. Gritting her teeth, Rose pushed herself to move forward. The Doctor squeezed her shoulder, guiding her through the snow. It only took a short while until a small building came into view, nestled close to the side of the mountain. Letting go of her, the Doctor dashed ahead to pull out his sonic screwdriver and open the door. Teeth chattering, Rose stumbled inside after him. She let out a sigh of relief when the door fell shut behind her. They made it.

The cabin was made out of smooth stone and nearly looked like it had been carved directly into the mountain. Large stone slabs made up the floor, bricks the size of her head the walls. Wooden beams supported the ceiling. Intrigued, Rose let her gaze wander over the room. With the storm raging outside and the sun setting quickly, only dim light fell through the windows. But for the moment, it was still enough to see. There was a cooking area, a table with chairs and a few shelves. In the back, a doorway led into the second part of the cabin. A large bed stood there and in one corner behind it, a closet was embedded into the wall. And that was it. It wasn’t much, but it was clean except for a bit of dust. And most importantly: it was warm.

Rose blinked in confusion. “How is it warm in here?” she asked, glancing at the cooking area. “There’s no fire.”

The Doctor grinned. “Geothermal heating! Isn’t it brilliant? They build the house on top of a hot spring.”

Rose attempted a smile, but another shiver went through her body. “Yeah, definitely brilliant,” she said, her teeth still chattering. The Doctor’s grin dissolved into a frown.

“You’re clothes are wet,” he observed. “You should change. There’s a bunch of blankets on the bed that should keep you warm. Starting a fire might not be a good idea, makes us easy to spot here.”

Rose gulped. “D’you think they’re still following us? In that weather?” she asked, sitting down on one of the chairs as she struggled to untie her boots. Her hands were too stiff to grasp the laces properly. Without a word, the Doctor knelt down beside her, starting to untie them for her.

“Might be,” he said, pulling off the first boot. “They should be prepared for snow storms like this one.”

Rose sighed in relief as she set her foot down. The floor was comfortably warm. “I don’t get why they’re making such a big fuss about that,” she complained. “We only made a snowman.”

The Doctor’s lips twitched. “A snowman that looked like their goddess, Rose.”

“But we didn’t know that!” She heaved a sigh, stripping off her scarf and hat. “How many times have we been arrested for blasphemy now?”

“Twelve times. Thirteen if you could that incident on Areon Four.”

“Right. Bet it won’t be the last time,” Rose muttered.

“Probably not.” The Doctor pulled off her second boot and gently trailed his fingers up her ankles. “Can you feel that? You’re skin is definitely too cold.”

“Yeah,” Rose said, her breath hitching. The brush of his fingers along her skin made her shiver again, but this time not from the cold. The Doctor frowned in response, jumping up to help her out of his coat and her parka. The wet fabric hit the floor with a thump. It was a relief to get it off her, but both her trousers and her hoodie were still clinging to her uncomfortably, not dripping but definitely damp. The Doctor noticed as well, and before Rose could protest, he reached out to lower the zipper of the hoodie. Her breath hitched as his fingers brushed over her breasts and stomach. There was only the barrier of her vest top between his hands and her skin. Suddenly, the cold was the last thing Rose was thinking about. Oblivious to her reaction, the Doctor cupped her face. He trailed his fingers over her cheeks, then down her neck and her naked arms until he could hold her hands in his. Warmth spread on her skin where he touched her. Rose could only stare at him, taking in the tender expression on his face that made her heart skip a beat. Gently, the Doctor raised her hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Rose longed to feel his hands on her skin again, but he was apparently content with the results of his examination and took a step back.

“No frostbite,” the Doctor announced. “But still too cold. Go get out of these clothes.” He nodded towards the bedroom.

Rose shook her head, trying to pull herself out of the daze the Doctor’s unexpected touch had left her in. Despite the heat spreading on her cheeks, she turned to face him. It was just like the Doctor to take care of her and forget his own needs.

“You should change as well,” she prompted, running her gaze over him. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy his wet suit clinging to him like that, showing off his lean body even more so than usual, but it certainly didn’t look comfortable.

The Doctor opened his mouth as if to protest, but stopped himself before he could say a word. “Right, yes. Sure.”

In the bedroom, Rose peeled off her jeans and took off her vest top and bra. The blankets on the bed looked soft and inviting. Rose wrapped one of them around her shoulders to cover herself and let out a happy sigh. She immediately felt better.

Suddenly, the Doctor barged into the bedroom. Rose flinched, but every complaint died on her lips when she saw the alarm on his face. It made her blood run cold.

“They’re coming to check the cabin,” the Doctor rushed out. “The same patrol that was chasing us earlier. The closet, quick!”

Without thinking, Rose dashed behind the bed and ripped open the door of the closet. The blanket fell from her shoulders, but there was no time to pick it back up. The Doctor was right behind her, urging her inside. He had all their clothes bundled in his arms and threw them at her feet. Rose could barely turn around before he rushed after her, pressing her back against the wall to fit into the closet as well. He pulled the door closed after him, leaving them both in darkness.

Rose let out a shuddering breath. Blood rushed in her ears. With her back pressed to the smooth stone behind her and the Doctor pressed to her front, there was little room to move. Not sure where to put her arms, she encircled the Doctor’s waist, but stopped dead in her tracks when her fingers only met skin. Warm, smooth, and definitely naked skin. 

With a start, she realized the Doctor had followed her advice. He had stripped down to his trousers, leaving his chest bare. Her breath hitched. Never had she felt this much of his skin against hers, and it still wasn’t enough. But if the Doctor was in any way affected by her being so close when she was only wearing knickers, he didn’t show it.

Rose froze when there was a sudden bang, the sound of the door kicked open and slamming into the wall. Holding her breath, she listened if the patrol would get any closer. Heavy footsteps reached her ears. Panic welled up in Rose. If they checked the closet, they would be trapped here. No way out.

The Doctor seemed to have the same thought. He cursed under his breath and suddenly, he dropped to his knees. Rose heard him fumble around on the floor and finally, there was the familiar whirring of the sonic screwdriver. The lock of the closet clicked softly, not a second too soon. Someone rattled on the door - once, twice, three times before they gave up. It seemed to stretch to an eternity. Rose didn’t dare to breathe. Eventually, the footsteps retreated. Rose counted the seconds, tensely listening for any sound, and slowly relaxed when it remained silent outside.

“What-” Rose began, but the Doctor quickly shushed her.

“They’re still around,” he whispered, so quietly she could barely hear him. “Standing at the door and debating what to do next.”

Rose lowered her voice until it was barely audible. She knew the Doctor would be able to pick it up. “Will they come back to check the closet?”

“Don’t think so. This closet only locks from the outside with a key. They probably think the owner left it like this.”

“So we just have to wait and hope they don’t decide to stay the night?”

“I don’t think they will. We just have to wait this out.”

“Okay,” Rose said, a little breathless. The Doctor’s breath ghosted over her skin, just over her hip bone. Now that the immediate danger was over, Rose couldn’t ignore her body’s reaction to this proximity any longer. He was so close. She squirmed, trying to get a bit of distance between them before he would notice her arousal, but her foot caught in a piece of clothing lying on the floor and she nearly stumbled. The Doctor quickly grabbed her hip, pressing her harder against the wall to keep her steady. Instinctively Rose reached out for something to hold on to, but she only found the Doctor’s shoulder. It brought his face even closer, his lips brushing her skin just above the waistband of her knickers. Rose couldn’t hold back a whimper.

She heard the Doctor take in a shuddering breath. A few tense seconds passed in silence in which Rose didn’t dare to make a sound. Didn’t dare to move.

When there was no reaction from the Doctor, Rose tried to move again, but the space was too narrow. She only knocked her head against the side of the closet. The Doctor’s grip around her tightened. “Hold still,” he hissed.

“But…” she started, trailing off when she didn’t know what to say. Her cheeks burned and she cursed her traitorous body. There was no way the Doctor couldn’t smell her arousal by now.

The Doctor was still for a long moment, as if he contemplated what to do. But suddenly, he brushed his thumb over the skin at her hip. Gently at first, a touch so fleeting Rose wasn’t sure she imagined it. She held her breath as she waited for him to continue.

“It’s all right,” the Doctor whispered, his voice calm and soothing. Her anxiety ebbed as his movements grew bolder, more deliberate. Her head was swimming. But while her head was still struggling to catch up with what was happening between them, her body readily responded to his caresses. Warmth pooled low in her belly.

The Doctor took in another sharp breath. “Rose,” he whispered, his voice low and raspy. And then, painfully slow, he pressed his lips back to her stomach for a kiss.

“Doctor,” Rose uttered, the word half a moan and half a sigh.

“Yes, Rose?” the Doctor asked. In the darkness she couldn’t see his face, but she could practically hear the smirk on his lips.

Rose curled her fingers into the Doctor’s hair. “Please,” she gasped, not really sure herself what she was asking for. All she knew was that she needed more of him. Needed this tension to snap and turn into hot, delicious pleasure.

“Please what?”

“Touch me.”

The Doctor let out a thoughtful hum. He continued to stroke her hip, slipping under the waistband of her knickers, but still didn’t move to where she was hot and throbbing. Instead, he pressed more kisses along her stomach. With the scrape of his teeth against her hipbone he eventually pulled back, just enough to speak. “I don’t know, Rose. Can you be quiet?”

“Yes,” Rose managed to say, her breath hitching. Seconds ticked by, achingly slow, until finally the Doctor brushed his fingers along her knickers, probing the wetness he found there. Rose clamped a hand over her mouth to suppress a moan.

“Oh, Rose.” The Doctor’s voice was full of wonder and adoration. “You’re so wet for me.” He continued stroking her, gently at first but soon pressing harder. His whispers of encouragement tickled her skin.

But before her pleasure could peak, another bang sounded from outside. Rose flinched. The Doctor stilled in his movements, drawing back from her as much as the cramped space allowed. They both held their breath as they listened, anticipating footsteps back in their direction. But the only sound Rose could hear was her own blood rushing in her ears, her heart thumping hard against her ribcage. Her legs trembled.

“Doctor? Are they…?”

Immediately the Doctor jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around her.

“It’s all right,” he said, his voice soothing in her ear. “That was the door. They’re gone.”

Rose let out a breath of relief. She snuggled closer into the Doctor’s embrace and let out a gasp when she felt him hard against her hip. Despite his arousal, there was no urgency in the Doctor’s touches. For the moment, he seemed content to simply hold her. He pressed a kiss to her neck, moving up to her cheeks until he could finally capture her lips with his. The kiss was slow and tender, but left Rose breathless nevertheless. The adoration and love he poured into it made her head swim. Still, even after everything that had happened in the last moments, she couldn’t shake the last bit of insecurity. Not when the Doctor had been pulling back every single time in the past when their relationship was on the brink of changing forever.

“What are we going to do now?” Rose asked hesitantly.

The Doctor tightened his embrace and pressed a kiss to her temple. “As your doctor, after this walk through the snow I recommend that you finally get into this bed and under a blanket. Can’t risk hypothermia.”

Rose stilled. His words echoed in her head, over and over again. “Is that what you are? _My_ Doctor?”

“Yes,” the Doctor said, so determined that it didn’t leave any room for doubt. He cupped her face in his hands. Gently, he pressed his lips back to hers. “Always yours, Rose.”

Rose couldn’t help but grin. Happiness and relief made her giddy. She kissed the Doctor again, more passionate this time. The Doctor groaned in response, pressing her harder against the wall behind her.

“So, bed?” Rose asked, a little breathless, when they finally pulled apart.

“Yep.”

Rose couldn’t help but tease him a little, although she was sure she knew the answer to her question. She ran a hand down the Doctor’s back. “On my own?” she asked with a tongue-touched smile.

“Well, you should better take someone with you. Just to be sure. Body heat is a great way to warm you up.”

Rose laughed. She pressed another kiss to his lips and rolled her hips against his, making him gasp. “Come on then. Take me to bed, Doctor.”

~~~

Rose woke slowly as the Doctor trailed his fingers down her naked back. She let out a content hum and snuggled deeper into the cocoon of soft blankets, closer into the Doctor’s side. The Doctor’s hand stilled and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

“Rose, wake up,” he whispered.

Rose blinked her eyes open, still not fully awake. It was still dark in the cabin. She rolled on her back and shuddered when the blanket shifted, exposing her skin to the colder air in the room. Immediately, she pulled the blanket back up to her nose.

“Rose,” the Doctor tried again. “The storm calmed down. We should go while it’s still dark.”

“It’s cold,” Rose mumbled, wrapping her arm around the Doctor’s waist and hiding her face in the crook of his neck. She let out a noise of protest when he sat up.

“It’s only about an hour to the TARDIS. Better to get that over with now instead of walking in daylight.”

“Still cold.” Rose rubbed her eyes. “I don’t think I like snow that much anymore.”

The Doctor shifted beside her, pulling the blanket down an inch. Rose wanted to protest, but the Doctor peppered kisses along her neck and every objection died on her lips. His breath was hot against her skin, rousing her in the best way possible. He moved up until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Come on”, he said, his voice low and rumbling. “I’ll warm you up again when we’re home.”

A shiver went down Rose’s spine. Suddenly, she was wide awake. She finally opened her eyes to see the Doctor hovering over her. He let out a laugh when their eyes met.

“If I’d known it’s that easy to get your attention in the mornings, I would have made a move ages ago.”

“I wouldn’t have complained,” Rose said with a grin and the Doctor bend down to press his lips to hers. When he pulled back, Rose reluctantly threw off the blankets. Their clothes had more or less dried overnight, spread out on the warm stone floor. Rose slipped back into her clothes while the Doctor did the same beside her.

The air was crisp and cold when they stepped outside. Snow crunched under Rose’s feet. White covered the whole landscape; a perfect, undisturbed blanket of snow. Even the trees were coated by ice, sticking to the branches. Now that the storm had passed, it was peaceful and quiet. Magical even, with the moonlight glittering in the snow and guiding their path. Rose couldn’t help but smile.

The Doctor stepped beside her, taking her hand in his. “See? This is not so bad, right?”

“Yeah.” Rose turned towards him to meet his twinkling eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” the Doctor agreed, never taking his eyes off her. “Ready for this?”

This time, Rose didn’t hesitate. She nodded, giving the Doctor a bright grin that matched his own. Hand in hand, they set off into the snow, making their way back home.


End file.
